Coast Guard museum to rise on New London waterfront

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NEW LONDON, Conn.— A museum dedicated to the history of the Coast Guard will be built on the waterfront of New London, officials announced Friday in the southeastern Connecticut city that has ties to the maritime service dating back more than two centuries.

The 50,000-square-foot museum, which will be located adjacent to a new high-speed ferry terminal, is expected to cost $80 million to $100 million. The National Coast Guard Museum Association has been raising money for the project, and the state has agreed to contribute $20 million.

The commandant of the Coast Guard, Admiral Robert J. Papp Jr., said in comments reported by The Day of New London that he hopes the riverfront museum helps local businesses to thrive.

‘‘The city perhaps might someday see a renaissance of sorts,’’ he said at the ceremony at a high school to reveal the plans for the museum.

The museum will attract visitors from around the world, said speakers including Governor Dannel P. Malloy and US Senator Richard Blumenthal.

‘‘This is a ‘wow’ day for the state,’’ Blumenthal said.

New London is also home to the US Coast Guard Academy, and Papp said one of the 10 cutters that George Washington approved in 1790 to enforce federal tariff and trade laws was built in New London. Papp said the museum will be an attractive addition to the waterfront.